Research Administration Associate Director (Project Management)

The Basic Sciences Shared Administration serves the departments of Biochemistry & Physiology, Cell Biology, and Microbiology & Immunology. The BSA Grants Team currently manages 150 active grants in addition to providing pre-award support for their assigned faculty members. We are looking for a knowledgeable individual who is great with people and can provide a high quality of service.

Responsible for the management of pre-award services of grants and contracts (sponsored and non-sponsored) and coordination of related post-award services. Provides technical assistance and guidance to faculty and staff, and interacts closely with external sponsors during negotiation processes. Ensures that the terms and conditions of all research grants and contracts are in compliance with applicable regulations and state and federal law. Assists in the training of personnel and in developing and implementing training for faculty and staff. Assists with writing and updating internal procedure manuals and university policy relating to the functions of the office.

Duties:

• Serves as senior staff member with delegated authority to sign proposals and contracts for incoming research funds to the University. Reviews programmatic, fiscal and legal terms and conditions of grant awards and contracts to ensure acceptability; interacts with University Legal Counsel, Office of Compliance, and Office of Technology Development to ensure contract compliance with federal, state, and University regulations.
• Assists  with complex proposal development and post-award management of sponsored programs, including approval of re-budget requests, extensions, carry forward requests and amendments. Interprets, implements and monitors sponsor, state and University sponsored programs administrative policies and regulations.
• Assists with the supervision and training of sponsored programs administrators and administrative staff.
• Prepares proposal reports as requested by faculty and staff, as well as monthly proposal reports and assistance with annual ORA report publication. Assists in the management of the PeopleSoft Grants Suite, ensuring accuracy of data entry.
• Assists in the development of Research Administration policies and procedure manuals. Assists with the implementation of educational programs for faculty and staff regarding proposal development, electronic submissions, post-award issues and project compliance; compiles and maintains sponsor files of resources regarding applicable University federal, state, private sponsor guidelines, regulations, and policies.
• Performs various duties as needed to successfully fulfill the function of the position.

Required Education: Bachelor's degree in a related field, AND:

• 60 months experience in any combination of the following areas: procurement (federal, state or industrial), proposal submissions, contract negotiations, grant and contract administration and financial administration in sponsored program administration. 36 months of the experience should be directly related to sponsored program administration.

Equivalency/Substitution: Experience or a combination of education and related experience can be considered in lieu of degree. A one-to-one ratio is used to determine the number of years of experience required in place of a degree. 

Skills:

• Excellent customer service, team-building, and organizational skills; working knowledge of policies and procedures of federal, state, and private funding agencies; ability to problem-solve, make independent decisions, and recommend solutions.
• Have the ability to manage unpredictable and voluminous workloads while providing quality service and meeting sponsor deadlines; involves a high degree of flexibility.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work with all levels of professionals within the University and with external sponsors is required.
• Superior communication skills, verbal and written are a hallmark of this position.
• Strong attention to detail and demonstrated success in working with federal and industry sponsors of university research is necessary
• Knowledge of state, federal, and institutional regulations is required, as well as the ability to review and interpret such regulations.

Certifications: None

Working Conditions:

• Physical:
  • Ability to engage in repetitive motion.
  • Ability to sit for prolonged periods.
• Environmental:
  • Standard office work environment.

Supervision: 4 Administrative Finance Coordinators

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